Player-piano construction



C. FREBORG.

PLAYER PIANO CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24, 1915.

Patented Jan. 24, 1922L 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

C. FREBORG.

PLAYER PIANO CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY24, 1915.

- Patented Jan. 24, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET '2.

UNITED STATES yPATENT OFFICE.

czILaPrIrIis ramone, QF KANKAKEE, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR To PRICE a TEEILE PIANO OOMPANY, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

PLAYER-PIANO CONSTRCTION.

specification of Letterrsratnt. Patented Janr24, 1922.

Original application filed January 7, .1914, Serial No.,8,1.0,'873. Divided and this application filed May i 24, 1915. ,Serial No. 30,069.

To all whom t may concern.'k

yBe itknownthat I, CHARLES Fnnone, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kankakee, in the county of Kankakee and State of Illinois, have,invented certain new and useful Improve-ments in Player-Piano Constru`ctions,'of which the following is a specification. g 1

rllhis invention relates to improvements in player piano construction, and has for its object to provideV an improved form of vacuum line, motor mountinv, land rolling and re-rollingA mechanism. 'IPhis ,application is a division of my parent application Patent No. 1,267,535 of May 28,1918;

VHitherto it has been necessaryqto provide al motor mounting and vacuum line which has been bulkyand cumbersome, difficult to assemble, and ineflicient in operation. Myinvention aims to overcome all these objections. A y

Still another object is to provide means for controllingthe speed of the roll winding mechanism,such means being also'operable Vto thro'w into operationithe re-roll mechanism.- "f

*These and other ob'jectsjwill be more fully set lforth 'in the followings'pecification and shownV in the accompanying drawings, in which: i

l Fig. 1 a front elevation offmy invention; i i' f Fig. 2"is a 'similar view on anenlarged scale of a portion ofthe construction shown in Fig." 1; i l "'Fig. '3 is aplan View of thek construction shown in Figf2; and" Filg. 4 .isa perspectve'detail' ofthe valve for controlling the motor.

`LLikeinumerals -refer .to like elements throughout the drawings: 15 designates a conventional form of vacuum producing apparatus suchlas foot oper'atedpbellows or the y 1ikethererbeing lpreferably a pair ofthe same which communicate with vacuum boxes or chambers 16 through tubes 15EL in suoli wise as'to maintain a .constant partial vacq uum inthe boxes 16 Fromthelatter ylead v tubes 'o'r'ducts 117 ycommunicating withthc upwardly'extending tubes 18 ,at each end of the apparatus. Small tubes 19 extendacross between the tubes 18 Yand areincommunication therewitlnv Thesev tubes 19 are aper-v tured, as 'indicated by numerals 19, .and

actuating pneumatics 20 are adjustablyportion of the air line for the operation of said pneumatics.

Located above the tubes 19 and extending across and communicating with the tubes 18, 1s the conduit tube or pipe 2l. It is to be noted that this cross communication between the tubes 18 afforded by the pipe or tube 21 results in the ,obtaining in ythe `latter of a substantially equalized partial vacuum which is of great value-in securing .the proper and delicate functioning of these instruments.v

Brackets or arms 22 are clamped or other'- wise mounted upon the tube 21 ,which is sufficiently rigid in construction to act not only as a duct but also as a support, and these brackets serveto support the walls 23a of the roll chamber 23. Between the walls 23L extends the trackerbar 24. Secured to one of the walls 23, at theouter side thereof,`is the supporting bracket member indicated by numeral 25, the arms of `which are rigidly attachedto the wall 23. 'This bracket member v25 carriesacurved plate 25a to which is rigidly attached the .casing of the actuating motor 26 which is shown and described in my parent application. It is onlynecessary, with respect to the latter, to say here that a centrally located shaft 26 is rotated by the action of the motor. This shaft carries a bevel gear 26b which meshes with .a second bevel gear 27 carried upon a shaft 28. Adjacent itsother extremity this'shaft carries a gear or pinion 281 with which is formed a collar 28", grooved at 28. On the outer face of this collar 28b is .provided the pin 28d. The gear 28'and collar are splined for Slidingengagement upon the shaft 28 .while rotated thereby. A sprocket wheel 80 is loosely mounted upon the shaft ,28 adjacentthe col# lit-12281. This sprocket isprovided Vwith a pin 30' similar to the pin 28dl and isso ar# ranged that when the collar is movedtoward thc'sprocket 30, from the position shown' in Fig. 2, the pins 281 and 30 will be mutually engaged, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Extending upwardly from the upper portion of the bracket25is vva bearing 25 in which is mounted one end of shaft 3l Yio Which-carries a second sprocket Wheel 31d. A chain 32 extends around the sproc'lrets 30 and 31a. The shaft 8l is inoperative engagement With the music roll 33.' third' shaft 36 is provided below shaft. 3l, .the same being rotatably mounted in the bearing'25d' oli' bracket 2 5 and being in operative engage-vv ment with the collecting reel 37. ,A gear 38., is attached to the shaftY 3G, as shown in 2. YAn arm 40 lits'in the groove 28C of coli lar 28h andis attachedto a slidablerod 41,so

that throughthe medium of the latter the gear 30 may be moved into or out of mesh with gear 38. Vhenin mesh, as shown V1n .v Fig. .2, Vthe collecting reel ET ivill be positively driven t'ounxvind the music, as indicated lby the arroiv in. Fig. 2. During this unwinding vthe reel 33 will be allowed to unwind freely, as Will be apparent. When it is desired to rewind, gear 28";L is shifted out of mesh With gear 38 until pin 28d contacts withpin 30a, whereupon the sprocket 30 .will be positively rotated to ypositively rotate the music roll 33 and .reivindthe music thereon.

A duetfmember 45 communicates 'through upon tube the "motor communicating through the tubef With the tube 21.andv

therebywith thel air exhausting meansyl5.

Located inthe chambered Velbow 45h/is the" plate .50 f having the aperture 50"t therein.v Mounted uponlthis plate is the valve disk 5l u havinga cut-awayseetor 512i, and being'attached to the shaft 52 VWhich, projectsupwardly tl'iroug'h thetop ofthe elbow 45, as

shownin Fig.V 2,.-forexample. ttachedto this shaft 52 1s the arm 53 which 1n turn. is

pivotallyattached to awrod 54Vpivotallyi'at` ta'ehed at its other extremity to the bell crank 55. On the other entremityof this bellcrank, tov/hich 'it ispivotallyattached, extends d mfnivardly 'the ,rod 56 to another bell crank 57, to an arm offivhich itis pivotallyconnected. Another rod 58 pivotally attached to the other arm of thebellcrank 57 extendsto the controlling lever 59 and is pivotally attached thereto. This controlling lever is ypivoted at' 59a and` carries the indi,-

cator portion 59? coactingwith the chartv or Senese.; Y

. *Mounted above the arm''on topfof elbowed chamber 45h is the flattened arm 6l scribed.

of the rod 41 with respect to Which it 'is an- 'gularly"disposed. AThis VVflattened -ar'mml is provided Witha cross slot Gla therein, fit-- ting vovershatt 52. VRearwardly thereof thel V'arm'."l 'is provided With Ythe lugs or shoulders 6lb spaced apart, as shown in Fig. 3.

The arm extends rearwardly ofthe. shaft 52, as shown in Fig. 3,- and isprovided With the upwardly extending spaced apart pins 53h, Dfor lar purpose to .be hereinafter de- In the operation ont the above described mechanism Y it will be` apparent Vthat theV proper arrangement of the aperture jiLk and valve disk 5l, as Well as chartO, the indicator portion 5 9b ofrlever 59Will be moved to thedivision of chart 60 which` corresponds to the desired speed ot playing. ThisgWill result in `proper movement otthevalve. disk Y5l', as-ivill be obvious, through the medium of the bell crankrods described above. Operation between thel ordinary limitsof` play# ing may be.eitectedjwithout movement of the arm 61, but when the indicator59l isf-moved to rewind, Whichfis ypret'era'bly-zat.the lefthandI edge of -thescalef orchart 60, one 'of the pinsibgvvill contact vvithfthe lug 61? and il* slide the Varinl bodily, togetherwith rod 41, `so that through; Athe medium o'farm 40, gear28? Will be moved out of mesh With lgear 38, as described above, and the refrlollingV mechanism Willbe throvvninto op er2 tt i o1r` .It zv villrbe apparentthatl have provided ajconstruction:y for devices ofthisnature yin i Y Whichthje. supporting members combine lwith 'the functions of the vacuum line members.

Ifhave also provided an improvedfmeans vfor operatingA vthe rolling :and` relrolling. members, as described above. r

Y While I have shown and described-gone form of my embo'dimennldo noi-.Wish vtof'be restricted to such showing or description beyond the Ascope of the .appended .fclaimsjVV wvhatr-ciaimisi .1 1. In combinatlon, a tiXed Wall, a'supportlmg frame.r secured Ltl 1,er-et0 ,.aA vacuum motor secured to said supporting ra'me,fa supportQ- ing'tube, saidtube forming'. apart vofthe vacuum line, and .atube lleadingffrom said supporting tube andfcommlllicating. therewith, said tube being securedto and in com- 1I111DC 11-WMA Said, vacuum motor: f if., c

' 2. In combination, vair exhausting. means,

aplurality. of duct@membersgdeading- 'from Y said t air f f exhausting means, ,an apertured cross tube extending betweenV and in commuf nication With .said duct members, an actuat-A ing-pneumatic carried by and in communica;-

tion ,rvith said vapertu redlcross tube, .aseoond tube extending r.between and .1n communica tion with saidduet members, a supporting duet memberpmounted on andcommunicating. with said .last vnamed-cross tube, and a motorsupported by and communicatingvvith said supporting duct.

3. In combination, air exhausting means, spaced apart duct members leading from said air exhausting means, a plurality of apertured pneumatic carrying cross tubes extending between and in communication with said duct members, a cross tube extending between and communicating with said duct members, and a motor supported by and in communication with said last named cross tube.

4. In combination, air exhausting means, spaced apart duct members leading from said air exhausting means, a plurality of apertured pneumatic carrying cross tubes extending between and in communication with said duct members, a cross tube extending between and; communicating with said duct members, a wall member carried by said last named cross tube, a motor carried by said wall, and a duet member extending between said lmotor and said last named cross tube and providing communication therebetween.

p duct members, a wall member carried by said last named cross tube, a motor carried by said wall, and a duct member extending between said motor and said last named cross tube and providing communication therebetween, said duct member constituting a. support for said motor and being mounted upon said cross tube.

6. In combination, a vacuum line, a motor adapted to be operated thereby, a collecting reel having a shaft, a music-roll engaging shaft, a main driving shaft arranged to be rotated by said motor, means coacting with said driving shaft to drive either of said first-named shafts, means to transfer such driving from one of said Shafts to the other, a valve for controlling the speed of said motor, means connected to the stem of said valve for regulating the same, a sliding yoke carried by said transferring means and adapted to embrace said valve stem, and means carried by said valve regulating means adapted, when the latter is moved to one of its positions of adjustment, to engage said yoke to thereby operate said transferring means.

In testimony whereof, I have subscribed WILLIAM W. HEHR, W. A. SCHNEIDER. 

